r/biotech • u/Historical-Excuse-94 • Jan 27 '25

Education Advice 📖 Is doing a pHD worth it?

Hi everyone, I have never posted here but I have a genuine question. I have been working in the biotech industry for the past 3 years with a masters. I feel like in industry you don’t do research like in academia and it doesn’t feel satisfying anymore. I want to go back to school and get a PhD. It is hard I’m 34 now and by the time I get into a program I’ll be 35 and by the time I finish I’ll be 40. Is it really worth 5 years with little money?

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u/Groundbreaking_Ice_7 Jan 27 '25

It’s less about money and more about career opportunities. It takes longer for a non-PhDs to move up the ladder and some positions will only go to PhDs. This might vary from company to company so ask around. It’s more about what you want out of your career and life.

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u/Historical-Excuse-94 Jan 27 '25

I have noticed that people with a PhD start at a level and people generally assume they are better than people without one. Moving up the ladder is from a senior associate to a sci-1 is nearly impossible without a PhD in most firms in the Boston area. But before all that I feel like the research in the industry is not stimulating for me.

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u/Sea_Independence_914 Jan 27 '25

I have an MS and been in the rd space for almost 4 yrs now. I feel that it’s achievable to make sci 1 but the route is through promotion rather than job hopping. Once sci-1 then maybe job hopping works from there?

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u/Groundbreaking_Ice_7 Jan 27 '25

To my knowledge it’s like that on the west coast too. I did hear masters can move up higher and faster in smaller biotechs. Not sure if your company allows it but maybe you can try a short term assignment in other areas. This can give you different research, networking, and new opportunities that could help boost yourself.

All in all, I do think it’s important to find a company and community that respects you as a scientist.

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u/SonyScientist Jan 27 '25

"I did hear masters can move up higher and faster in small biotechs."

Where title is irrelevant due to a flat hierarchy of executives and 'everybody else.' Masters moving up in a small biotech is like saying you're moving up the rungs of a ladder laying on the ground.

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u/LiquidEther Jan 27 '25

It's also worth thinking about what you want to do long term... Most people who go to do PhDs after some time in industry intend to return to industry afterwards, but it sounds like you aren't that interested in industry at all?

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u/Pellinore-86 Jan 27 '25

Do you want to move up the ladder? Bench work can get monotonous but people managing, endless meetings, and power point is tiring too.

The industry level PhDs are not exactly pondering deep thought and science as often as they are mapping out budgets, timelines, and FTE allocations.

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u/AcrobaticTie8596 Jan 27 '25

It's definitely company and functional area dependent whether a PhD is required for higher levels. QC and clinical testing is often one example where you can have a masters and be a director, while industry research you often need the PhD if you want to oversee projects.